NSW has reported the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases recorded by any state at any time during the pandemic.
Some 825 people tested positive for the virus in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday, a jump of 183 from the day before.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Saturday tried to shift focus from the rising case numbers to the "more important" vaccination figures, including the goals of 70 and 80 per cent coverage.
She said she had noticed a "change in attitude" from her interstate counterparts in recent days.
"We accept that Delta is here, we accept heading to zero across the nation, especially once you open up and live freely, will be an impossible task," she said.
The premier urged her constituents to "stay calm" and "be real about it", and know that vaccinations are keeping people out of hospital.
Nearly 80 per cent of the new cases were in south west and western Sydney council areas subject to tough new restrictions, including a night-time curfew.
Three more people died, each of whom picked up their infection in aged care or a hospital.
Two men, aged in their 80s and 90s, were residents of Greenwood Aged Care at Normanhurst. One was fully vaccinated but both had significant underlying health issues, said Deputy Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale.
Six residents of the facility's dementia ward have been diagnosed with COVID-19 after an unvaccinated staff member worked while infectious. Four of them had declined to be vaccinated, said Dr Gale.
A woman in her 90s died after acquiring the virus in the geriatric ward at Liverpool Hospital. That outbreak has now claimed ten lives.
An illegal party in the beachside suburb of Maroubra held last weekend has led 16 revellers to test positive, plus some of their contacts. Up to 60 people attended the event, many of whom were from the hotspot council areas, said Ms Berejiklian.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he had been told a funeral in western NSW may have been attended by up to 500 people.
"Many of those people are now returned to the far flung parts of our state and I'm already hearing from our health system that there are cases that are positive in various communities and those will probably grow in the next few days," Mr Hazzard said.
"There is no time now to be selfish."
The spread of the virus in the state's far north west is of "very, very grave concern", Ms Berejiklian said.
There were 14 cases in the far West Local Health District, 12 of which were in Wilcannia. That LHD only serves 30,000, making the rate of infection similar to the rate in the Sydney local government areas of concern.
The Western Local Health District had 38 new cases, including 32 in Dubbo.
Meanwhile, a COVID-positive man is on the run in Sydney.
"This 27-year-old chap who has apparently expressed the view that he doesn't care less whether he spreads the virus is one example of the worst of the worst," Mr Hazzard said.
Health authorities are extremely reluctant to publicly name a case, he said, but Anthony Karam had given Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant no choice but to warn the public about him after he refused to isolate.
The entire state is now locked down and a police blitz is underway to enforce tough new regulations and increased fines.
Persistently high case numbers have led Premier Gladys Berejiklian to prolong stay-at-home orders in Sydney until at least September 30 and impose harsher rules on a dozen hotspot local government areas, including a curfew from 9pm to 5am.
Regional NSW is locked down until at least August 28.
From Monday, mask-wearing will be mandatory for all people in NSW when outdoors, except when exercising.
© AAP 2021